Nearly two years ago, after the creation of Hechsher Tzedek (now Magen Tzedek), I blogged about United Synagogue’s need for a policy office in Washington, DC.
This was of course before the economy collapsed and Jewish institutions, including those of the Conservative Movement, were forced to slash budgets.
So it’s surprising and refreshing to see that Rabbi Jack Moline of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia has been appointed to be the public policy director for the Rabbinical Assembly. (It should be noted that he is the representative for the RA–the Conservative rabbinic group, not the United Synagogue of America, the congregational arm.)
Moline has been lobbying for a movement presence in DC for a while, and he’s no stranger to the Beltway political arena.
The Jewish Week asks: Why, after all this time and all Moline’s nudging, did Conservative leaders decide to take the plunge?
“The change in leadership in the RA brings with it a slightly different perspective,†Moline said. In November the group appointed Rabbi Julie Schonfeld as its new executive director. (MORE)
It might seem like a small step, but as Jewish management consultant Jacob Ukeles has said about USCJ, “Change has been glacially slow.â€
Maybe the ice is melting.
